Minister returns to see successful New Forest wetland restoration project a decade later

Minister returns to see successful New Forest wetland restoration project a decade later

Rural Affairs Minister Lord Richard Benyon saw environment projects and met organisations caring for the National Park on a tour of the New Forest last week (Thursday 10 March).

Lord Benyon visited a stream at Fletcher’s Thorns near Brockenhurst which he first saw in 2011 when diggers had carefully recreated its natural meandering course. As part of a programme led by Forestry England to restore wetlands across the New Forest, the meanders were put back into the stream to improve the condition of these internationally-important habitats after the Victorians had straightened the channel to drain the land.

The New Forest is one of the most important areas for freshwater wildlife in Britain. Its freshwater habitats are home to wildlife and plants which have disappeared from other parts of England such as the sundew plant, tadpole shrimp and southern damselfly.

Since 2010 the Verderers of the New Forest Higher Level Stewardship scheme – a partnership between the Verderers, National Park Authority and Forestry England – has restored 20 miles of water courses and improved and protected around 5,000 hectares (more than 7,000 football pitches) of wetland habitats.

The restorations are improving habitats for rare wildlife, protecting streams and mires from further erosion, helping to manage flood risk and increasing resilience to drought.

During the tour Lord Benyon also visited a commoner’s holding near Lyndhurst; met the inclusive cycling charity PedAll; heard from National Park rangers about the New Forest Code; discussed farming grants and subsidies with commoners and farmers in the Verderers Hall in Lyndhurst; and met with partners and landowners along the Waterside who are working to drive private investment into restoring habitats and climate change initiatives.

Lord Benyon Minister for Rural Affairs said: ‘I was very pleased to return to the New Forest and see first-hand the positive impact the wetlands restoration has had on freshwater wildlife, such as the tadpole shrimp.

‘This wetland is just one example of how we can restore our natural world and let our wildlife recover. We are committed to expanding support for wildlife recovery with ambitious proposals in the Nature Recovery Green Paper and stretching Environment Act targets. I am excited what the future holds for this project and similar initiatives across the country.’

New Forest National Park Authority Chair Prof Gavin Parker said: ‘The National Park Authority and our landowners, communities and partners are working together on a range of nature-based solutions to tackle climate change, to ensure nature recovers and connect more people to the natural world. Lord Benyon’s visit was a great opportunity to show how far we have come over the last decade but how much more we all have to do to ensure this landscape not only survives but thrives into the future.’

Official Verderer Lord Willie Manners said: ‘We were delighted to welcome Lord Benyon, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on his first visit to the Forest since becoming once again, a Government Minister. On his visit to a commoner’s holding he was shown some examples of the extraordinary biodiversity of the Forest. At Fletchers Thorns he was very impressed with the quality of the stream restoration which he had first seen shortly after it was completed.

‘Having met a range of people involved in commoning and the management of the Forest including representatives from the Forest Farming Group I am confident that the Minister well understood the importance of commoning to delivering and maintaining the biodiversity of the Forest. I am hopeful too that our discussions about the shape of a future Environmental Land Management Scheme for the Forest will result in a scheme that both fits and benefits the unique needs and characteristics of the Forest.’

Photo caption (left to right): New Forest National Park Authority Chief Executive; Rural Affairs Minister Lord Richard Benyon; Official Verderer Lord Willie Manners; New Forest National Park Authority Chair Prof Gavin Parker at Blackwater on a tour of environment projects in the New Forest.